For 28 years, Columbus House has been dedicated to their mission: To serve people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless by providing shelter and housing and by fostering their personal growth and independence. For two years now, I have been very proud to be a part of their vision. Throughout these past two years, I have seen many faces coming in and out of the shelter. One thing that I can say that has been pretty consistent across the board is our individuals’ need of employment. “I am looking for a job.

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Rabbi Herb Brockman from Congregation Mishkan Israel in Hamden. As the winter months were approaching, he met with other members of the Interfaith Cooperative Ministries to discuss the homeless situation in New Haven. The coalition, consisting of 41 churches, synagogues and mosques, recruited 19 congregations to create Abraham’s Tent, where for 12 weeks they will host and provide food and a home for homeless men. To hear Herb tell the story of how this came about brought tears to my eyes. He said “we have to do this; we have to find a way to make this work”. I still get chills thinking about it and remember how his enthusiasm was contagious and heart warming.